by Doreen Alsen
“Your mother only has one toilet, one bathroom. With her company, there might be a problem.”
Jeff nearly turned into Time Bomb. He thought the top of his head would launch off his shoulders. “Don’t you dare criticize my mother! She worked hard to buy that house.” He shook his head and uncurled his fingers. “Forget it. I’m not going to do this with you. You said Cookie’s in her room?”
“Yes. But you have to be quiet.”
Sweet Baby Jesus on a cracker, please help him. “Fine. I hope you have her bags packed, because she’s leaving with me within the next ten minutes.”
“I won’t let you take her if she doesn’t want to go.”
“I’ve got joint custody and I’m not taking her out of state. We arranged this visit a week ago. And you had no problem with me taking Cookie to my mother’s a couple of weekends ago when you needed to go to the spa.” He turned from his mission to check on Cookie. “Go run and call your lawyer. He can call Nathaniel Cavanaugh at the law firm of at Jordan and Jordan in Lobster Cove. Oh, and FYI? Nate takes no prisoners.”
“So dramatic.” She checked out her manicure. “You must get that from hanging around with Beth.”
What? Seriously? There wasn’t enough zen in the universe to help him deal with this. “You and I both know Beth doesn’t do dramatics.”
“I don’t know any such thing. Ten years is a long time. People change.”
“I’m going to go get Cookie.” He ignored Katie’s sputtering and took the stairs up to his daughter’s room. The door was closed so he knocked then opened it. “Hey, Princess. Are you ready to go?”
Cookie laid on her bed, surrounded by some Barbies, her look-alike American Girl doll and some clothes piled by an empty Hello Kitty backpack. “I have a tummy ache.”
He crossed the room and perched on the edge of her toy box. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you think it’s a nervous tummy?”
She turned those big brown eyes of hers at him. “I’m afraid of the boy,” she whispered.
“The boy has a name and it’s Danny. And I’m pretty sure Danny’s a little afraid of you too.”
“Really?”
“I’m pretty sure. So, why don’t you pack some of these clothes,” he gestured to the glitter encrusted, pastel colored pile on the floor, “and get ready to go. Your grandma’s made your favorite cookies and she’s waiting for you to get there so we can have dinner.”
He felt rather than heard Katie come into the room. Standing, he turned to face her. “Can you help her get ready? We really have to get going.”
Katie pasted a totally fake smile on her face. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s find your prettiest outfits.”
“Make sure you pack some play clothes. I see a trip to the park in our future.”
“‘Kay, Daddy.” Cookie slid off the bed and dived into the job of choosing the clothes she wanted to wear.
He leaned against the doorframe.
Katie picked up a pair of shoes covered in lavender glitter and big hot pink hearts. “You don’t have to supervise. We’ll be down in a minute.”
Oh, look. Katie wanted to get rid of him, most likely so she could feed Cookie more things to worry about. “No, it’s okay. I’m staying right here.”
Katie lifted a shoulder. “Whatever.”
He smiled at her. He could nearly see smoke come out of her ears.
Sometimes it was good to be him.
****
“Thank you for letting me stay here this weekend.” Beth chopped tomatoes for the salad she was assembling.
Jeff’s mother stirred the spaghetti sauce she had simmering on the stove. The scents of garlic, basil, oregano, and thyme spread through the room. “It’s no problem. I think it’s best for Danny to have you here. I’ve got a relationship with Cookie, she feels at home here. It’s all new for Danny.”
“Everything’s new for Danny.” Beth sighed. “He’s been having a hard time with it.”
“I’d be surprised if he didn’t. But you and Jeff both love him and will guide him through this.” She put down the wooden spoon she held onto a ceramic spoon rest next to the stove. “My son is good man. He’s strong and fair, but mostly he’s a great dad and loves his kids.”
Beth reached for a carrot she had on the cutting board and started peeling it. “I’m letting him adopt Danny. It’s the right thing to do for both of them. I’m even letting him change Danny’s middle name to William.”
“After my husband—Jeff’s father?” She stopped stirring her sauce. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me! To Jeff.” Tears sprang to Nancy’s eyes. She wiped them away with her apron. “My husband died when Jeff was so young. I regret that he didn’t have enough time with him.”
“The name Paul means nothing to him or me, but William is important to Jeff. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a very big deal to us.” She gave Beth a brief hug. “It’s very brave of you.”
“Brave?”
“Yes. You’ve had him to yourself for his whole life. You’ve been everything to him and I can tell he’s everything to you. You’re dealing with some big changes very graciously. That’s brave.”
“I haven’t always. It’s only right.”
“What’s right isn’t always easy.”
Beth felt her eyes watering up and changed the subject. “What’s Cookie like?”
“I imagine Jeff told you that she’s a delightful little girl who loves her daddy. He dotes on her.” Nancy chuckled. “She had him tied around her little finger from the moment he first laid eyes on her.”
“They have a really strong bond.”
“As strong as yours and Danny’s. Jeff wants the same relationship with Danny that he’s got with Cookie.” Nancy put a warm hand on Beth’s arm. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.” She gave her a pointed look. “Love makes all the difference.”
They both looked up as the front door flew open. A scurry of tiny footsteps raced into the kitchen. “Grandma! I’m here!”
While Nancy laughed and hugged Cookie, Beth studied Danny’s stepsister. A tiny girl, with fluffy blonde curls framing her impish face and big brown eyes underneath insanely thick eyelashes and a button for a nose, she looked exactly like a fairy princess.
Nancy and Cookie stepped apart and Cookie peeked up at Beth from under those ridiculous lashes. Nancy said, “This is Beth, Danny’s mom, and she’s staying with us, too. Can you say hello?”
Cookie wrapped her arms around Nancy’s right leg with enough vigor to cut off her circulation. For a minute it looked like the girl was going to stick her thumb in her mouth, but that moment passed.
“Cookie, say hello to Beth.” Jeff’s low voice brooked no disobedience.
“Hello,” she whispered.
Beth crouched in front of her and marveled at this tiny, beautiful miracle, all rancor toward Katie forgotten. “Hello. I’m very happy to meet you.”
Cookie hid her face behind Nancy’s back.
“I’ll go see what Danny’s up to,” Beth said, knowing Cookie needed some space.
And what do you know? Beth needed a little space herself. She should have been better prepared for outright rejection. “I’ll be right back.”She’d pounded it into Danny’s head that he had to be exceptionally polite if he met his half-sister’s mom.
She made a hasty retreat. When she got to the room she’d be sharing with Danny, she took a second to appreciate her son. She was still puzzled about the poopy diaper comment. Where had that come from?
He sat in the middle of the room making juicy explosion noises as his Refractor action figures rained death and destruction upon each other.
“Danny,” she interrupted, “put the battle for the universe on hold for a bit. Cookie’s here and it’s almost time for dinner. Come down and meet her.”
He stopped mid-cataclysm and turned wary eyes up to her. “I’m not hungry.”
“That may be, but you are expected to be polite, remember? Your grandmother has
made a yummy meal and Cookie is also her guest. She’s only a little girl while you’re a big boy. So man up, buddy.”
She could tell Danny wanted to protest but in the end he did as he was told. Pride filled her. “Let’s go. Your grandmother is counting on you.”
Danny moved with an uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm. Where was the boy who threw himself headlong into life? He’d finally gotten the father he’d always wanted. Okay. She got it. Now he had to face a little girl who had a prior claim. No wonder he wasn’t enthusiastic. “Don’t worry, buddy. Everybody loves you already. Especially me and your dad.”
He sent her a hopeful, yet reluctant look. The situation took a toll on him. Hopefully she and Jeff could guide him through it.
Cookie sat on the living room floor with an army of Barbies accompanied by hundreds of pastel tiny shoes, little sequin, satiny dresses and one small hairbrush. She stopped attacking the hair of one doll with the brush and looked up when Beth and Danny came into the room.
“Danny, this is Cookie,” Beth said, her tone of voice as gentle as she could make it. “Cookie, this is my son Danny.”
“Hello,” Danny mumbled.
Cookie blinked then returned her attention to her dolls.
Ooooo-kay. “Let’s go into the kitchen and see if Granny Nancy needs any help. I bet it’s almost time to set the table.”
“‘Kay.”
“Hey, Nancy, Danny’s here and he wants to help.”
Nancy turned and grinned. “I’m sure we can set him up with a job. Dad, show Danny where the silverware is so he can set the table.”
“You got it, Ma.” Jeff moved smoothly to where his mother kept the cutlery and pulled open the drawer. “Let’s get what you need, champ.”
Danny got right down to it. Beth shared a smile with Jeff over Danny’s head.
It didn’t take much longer to get the meal on the table, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and a big mixed salad, all served family style.
“I’ll go get Cookie. Be right back.” Jeff wiped his hands on a dishtowel and went to fetch his daughter.
Danny watched his father leave the room. Something was going on in his head, but you had to be an expert in Danny-o-logy to see it. Her son was fronting big-time. His gaze got really stormy when Jeff carried the little girl into the room but he kept a smile on his face.
“Let’s get going! I’m starved.” Jeff sounded a little too cheerful.” He plopped Cookie on to a chair with a booster seat. “There you go, princess.”
The rest of them sat. The bowls piled high with food were passed around, though Jeff put together a plate for Cookie, cutting everything into bite sized pieces for her. He pulled out the mushrooms and the green pepper slivers from her salad.
Beth’s father had no tolerance for picky eaters so Danny had never been coddled or indulged. He ate what was on the plate or he didn’t eat at all. Originally Beth had hated that as she watched Danny choke down bite after bite of food he didn’t like. When her father died she had relaxed that rule, but the early training had never left Danny. He ate everything and enjoyed it.
Beth also knew that making kids eat according to really strict rules didn’t, in general, work. Danny was a happy exception.
“Grandma?” Cookie looked up from pushing around the food on her plate. “Can I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
“I thought you liked spaghetti?” Jeff frowned down at the little girl.
“It’s too spicy tonight.” She turned doe eyes up to Jeff. “It burns in my mouth.”
“It’s the same as I always make it. You’ve always loved it,” Nancy said.
Tears threatened to burst out of Cookie’s eyes. “I want a peanut butter sandwich.”
“You should always be grateful that there’s food on the table and eat what’s put in front of you.” Danny sounded very much like Beth’s father.
Yikes! “Danny,” Beth started, “please. Eat your own food and don’t worry about Cookie. Please say you’re sorry.”
“Sorry,” Danny grumbled.
Beth felt a flush of pride in her son.
Danny glared at Cookie as he forked a huge chunk of tomato sauce covered meatball and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Daddy, he’s chewing with his mouth open. It’s gross.”
Beth glanced at Danny and, yes, he was chewing with his mouth open. Gleefully and on purpose. That flush of pride dissipated faster than it had come.
So much for those superior manners he was supposed to have. “Danny, please chew with your mouth closed.”
He hesitated, but he did as he was told. The minute he stopped, Cookie opened her mouth and showed off the mostly chewed food in her own mouth.
Jeff and Nancy might’ve thought this would go well, but Beth knew better. Neither kid felt like making this easy.
Jeff seemed totally involved with the spaghetti. Nancy, however, watched the whole thing between Danny and Cookie. “Cookie, baby girl, please close your mouth when you chew.”
She just slowly spit out the food from her mouth. “This doesn’t taste good.”
“This is your favorite thing for Grandma to make.” Jeff frowned.
“I want a peanut butter sandwich.” Cookie thrust out her lower lip, apparently possessing a killer boo-boo-lip.
Jeff looked torn and confused. “Okay,” he said, obviously trying to ward off a brewing temper tantrum. “I’ll have it ready in a minute.” He left the table.
True to his word, he had the sandwich made in a jiffy and put it in front of Cookie. “Here you go, just the way you like it.” White bread, crusts removed, cut into four triangles.
Cookie just stared at the plate.
Beth bit back a sigh. Nope. Not going to be even the least bit easy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“So, what movie are we going to watch?” Jeff posed the question to the two sullen children sitting on the couch.
“I want the Barbie one, Daddy! The Barbie on Sparkle Island one!”
Danny gave Cookie a look of pure disgust. “I want The Adventures of The Refractor.” Beth cleared her throat. “Please,” he added.
“I don’t like The Refreckatator.”
“The Refractor. Re-frac-tor,” Danny repeated slowly. “Do you even know who he is?”
Cookie pulled out her killer pout again. “I know he’s a stupid boy.”
“He’s not a stupid boy! He’s only the greatest super hero ever!”
A band of tympani drums had set up shop right behind Jeff’s eyes. “How about I find one you’ll both like?”
Cookie and Danny stuck their tongues out at each other. Jeff pretended not to notice and went through the DVDs his mother had.
And what did you know? Absolutely nothing a kid like Danny would like. Maybe something about animals. What kid didn’t like animals? “How about Max the Monkey?”
Both kids shook their heads. Finally. Something they agreed on, Max the Monkey hate. “Or we could play a game.”
“What kind of game?” Danny crossed his arms across his chest.
“We could play Candy Land” Cookie perked up. “I like that game.”
“Candy Land? Only stupid babies play Candy Land.”
“Danny, apologize right now. We don’t call each other stupid.
Danny grunted and looked at Cookie. “I’m sorry you’re stupid.”
“I think you need to change that, son.”
Danny sighed. “Okay. I’m sorry I called you stupid.” He flung himself back against the couch. “Don’t you have any big kid games?”
“Like what?” Jeff closed his eyes.
“Like Totally Gross.”
“We don’t have Totally Gross.” He didn’t even know what Totally Gross was.
“It’s only the best game ever! If you get the right card you have to check the other players for boogers and toe jam or describe the last time you puked! The best game ever!”
“Daddy! I hate that game!”
Cookie had never encountered the
game, but Jeff actually kind of agreed with her.
Although his inner ten-year-old yelled “Yeah!”
“We don’t have Totally Gross and even if we did, your sister wouldn’t like it.”
“So what do you have that’s fun and got nothing to do with Barbies or ponies?” Danny lifted his chin, like a challenge.
“We’ve got Candy Land, Memory, Sorry and Mystery Date.” Cookie ticked the games off on one hand.
“You like to play Sorry, right Danny?” Beth came in the room wiping her hands on a dishtowel.
Jeff had never been so glad to see someone in his whole life.
Danny shrugged. “I guess.”
“And it sounds like Cookie likes Sorry, too.” She smiled at his daughter, who wouldn’t look at her. “Sounds like a plan.”
Jeff wanted to grab Beth and kiss her. However
“I’ll go get the game.” Jeff wasn’t giving either kid a chance to disagree.
He dropped onto his knees and threw open the game cabinet. He rummaged a bit until he found the battered game box. As he dragged it out, he prayed all the pieces were in there. All he needed was for some to be missing and each kid didn’t get enough soldiers.
“I’ll just set it up here on the coffee table.”
Beth had perched herself on the arm of the sofa next to Danny. “Do you need any help?” She directed her question to Jeff. Danny didn’t need any assistance playing Sorry.
Jeff glanced up at her. “I think I got this. I am a professional, after all.”
She laughed. “Then I’ll leave everything in your more than capable hands. Just give me a holler if you need me.” She left for the kitchen.
He watched her leave, watching the sway of her denim clad ass.
“Dad, do you need a hand getting the board set up?” Danny’s voice brought his attention back to the kids and off his mother’s ass.
Damn.
“Sure, Danny, I’d like that.”
****
“How’s it going out there?” Nancy finished pouring some boiling water into a teapot.
Beth wrinkled her nose. “The two of them are not giving him an inch. They’re determined to not have a good time. I can work on Danny, but Cookie?” Beth shrugged. “I don’t dare.”